Many an article is written on the topic of focus. People tell you that in order to meet your goals, you must push everything away that can distract you. You must focus on that one thing, until you achieve it – otherwise you run the risk of not accomplishing anything at all.

I think that’s a load of hooey.

The more you do, the more you know. I am a voracious learner. I’m curious to the nth degree, and I get very frustrated when I don’t understand things. So the only way I can find peace is to try and figure it out. Thank goodness for Google.

Because of my innate curiosity, I end up involving myself in a lot of things I would not otherwise be involved in. Curiosity is the reason I ended up going back to school to learn about new media in 1997. Suddenly, it became my career. Curiosity made me want to get into teaching – after all, in order to teach something, I had to learn it first. What better way to understand things than to have to explain them to someone else, right?

My curiosity makes me take on lots of new things, and sometimes, those new things become opportunities. So do a lot. Be curious a lot. And before you know it, doors will start to open.

Overdo it! Come on! I dare ya! I am the type of person that likes to be involved in a hundred things at once. I come by it honestly. When I was growing up, my parents were always doing a million things. They worked full time, raised two kids, were gardeners, and were two of the most active people in their community. They were always on organizing committees to plan events and fundraisers for our town, were heavily involved in social events on the military base, and then in his “spare” time, my Dad helped build a TV station. Did I mention they both worked full time, and still had plenty of time left over to spend with us kids?

I often hear people say things like “Don’t bite off more than you can chew!” and “Don’t stretch yourself too thin!”.  Now, I’m not advocating spending every waking moment running around, being involved, working on this and that. There has to be a balance, and everyone’s limit is different. But I think that many people are so afraid of over-committing themselves that they end up not committing to anything. Instead, they wind up on the sofa watching reruns of LOST 6 hours a day, wondering where the time goes and why everyone else seems to be getting all the good stuff.

I encourage you to take a good hard look at how you spend your days. Sure, you may have three kids, two dogs, and a mother-in-law. But I bet that even with all that going on you can find 1 hour a day (doesn’t have to be consecutive!), to carve out some time to at least THINK about a project or two that interests you. Maybe you even talk to a friend or colleague that might want to work on your projects with you.

Find the time MAKE the time to work on stuff. Inject it into your day. Sitting at the coffee shop with a sleeping 6 month old? That’s plenty of time to learn something new, jot down some ideas, or GChat with a friend about your idea. Walking the dog? Why listen to Christina Aguilera for the thousandth time, when you can be catching up on interesting podcasts or taking a course at iTunesU?

We all have more time than we think we do. We all have some room to commit to new things. You just have to figure out how to work it in with the rest of your life.

But what about focus? Oh yes, we were talking about focus. Sorry, I got distracted. :)

Here’s what I’ve been wondering about the past few days. I’m involved in more things right now than I’ve ever been involved in before. My company has just started a bunch of great new projects. I’m gearing up for another semester of teaching at Algonquin College, and I’m also designing an online course in Digital Communication for this program. I’m working on a couple of speaking engagements this Fall. I’m heavily involved in the creation of SAW Video’s new web site. We’re in pre-production for Season 3 of The House Healers. I even have a couple of secret projects on the go in the background. All that…AND, I still spend plenty of quality time with hubby and the rest of the family, my friends, and occasionally find some time for just me. I sleep 6-8 hours a night. I watch maybe 2 hours of TV a week. Balance.

Some people might argue that I don’t have any focus, and that it’s dangerous to be so “all over the place”. But if that’s the case, then why do I feel like I have more clarity than ever before? My good friend and mentor Andre nailed it the other day, when he said to me, “You have clarity, because you are doing what you should be doing. You’re finding all kinds of ways to create and deliver content. It may seem like you’re all over the place, but in fact, you’re doing one thing well. You’ve just found lots of different ways to do it.” I think he’s bang on.

So, I challenge you…forget focusing on one thing. Focus on everything you care about. The secret is to not get overwhelmed, and to chip away at everything as it comes. You’ll find that when you’re focusing on doing everything you love, it all becomes crystal clear.

Oh, and while you’re busy focusing on everything? Here are some great tips from Lifehacker on how to train your brain to be less distracted. Hat tip to my friends Randy Matheson and Stacerella for focusing long enough to point out the article to me. :)

[photo credit: Philo.cn on Flickr]

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I’ve recently decided to get really serious about learning to play the guitar better. I have all these friends who are so super talented at it…every time I hear and watch them play I think, “I want to try to do this too.” I may never be as good as this guy, but I am determined to work hard at it.

And as a result, my left hand is killing me.

I’ve never really had much of a relationship with my left hand. I’m very right handed. But now, I have to stretch my left hand beyond the 10 or so chords I’ve known since the 6th grade. I’m learning finger picking, scales, riffs, and all sorts of nifty tricks.

I’m realizing very quickly that in order to have the agility to do these things well, my left hand, which typically doesn’t really listen so well, has to be forced into submission. I have to make it do things that it doesn’t want to do. And I have to make it do them over and over and over again until it starts to behave. I had no idea how many muscles there are in one’s hand. There are muscles in there I didn’t even know I had. I can feel every single one.

And because I can really feel my left hand learning and stretching and growing into its new role, I am now more aware of it than ever. I’m stretching it beyond what I thought it was capable of. And I’m celebrating small successes (3 minor pentatonic scales in a row without a string buzz or screw up!)

I’m also realizing the relationship between my left and right hands now. It’s not just about getting my left pinky to stretch across the frets and land in the right spot. It’s about doing that while my right hand is plucking the correct string. If my hands aren’t willing to collaborate, the whole thing’s a bust.

Finally, I’m also very aware of my time limit with practicing. I did 2 hours the other day without a break. At the end of it, my hands were numb, and my brain wasn’t processing the new things so well. I knew that I’d overdone it. I don’t yet have the stamina built up to play at length, and I need to accept that until my strength is built up, I will have to get by on less.

So there you have it – my 3 guiding words for 2010. Stretch. Collaborate. Less. These three realizations might just be my secret to finally being a better guitar player, but they are in fact, much more.

Stretch. My left hand hurts because I am stretching it beyond what it’s been used to. Stretching means changing the shape and size of what I’m doing so I can do new things. It’s going to be uncomfortable. But it’s also going to get way easier the more I do it. The pain will subside, and then after a while, I’ll be able to see that my hard work has paid off.

Collaborate. The only way to make beautiful music is to get both hands working together. Otherwise, it’s pretty boring. The same can be said for people. Sure, there are a lot of things I want to and can do on my own. Writing this blog, for instance. It’s all mine. But as I review the many goals I’ve set for myself this year, I see that there isn’t much I’m going to want to do without other people in the mix. True collaboration is about bringing smart brains together, and creating things that are remarkable. Whether it’s music, video projects, or other creative endeavours, I have no intention of flying solo this year. It’s going to be all about creating amazing things with other people.

Less. I’ve set an ambitious goal as I fly firmly into my fortieth year. I’m going to work on less, in many aspects of my life. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up all my worldly possessions or anything…but I am going to think about how I can streamline what I do have and simplify things. I’m going to worry less. I’m going to spend less time focused on what has been or what’s coming and focus on now. I’m going to weigh less by eating less and doing more physical activity. I’m going to pay less attention to the negative people and situations that come into my life and more attention to the people and things that are important. I’m going to work with less, so I can have more. Make sense?

Three words. I’ve got them written on my board, just like last year (Connect. Difference. Positive). I’m ready to take on 2010 boldly and without looking back.

How about you?

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We’re three weeks in to the new year, and how are you doing with your goals? This is usually the time when things start to fall off the rails. The gym visits become less frequent, the junk food sneaks back in, the time management takes a back seat, and that money-saving? Too many post-holiday sales made that one hard to keep up, too.

It doesn’t have to be all for naught. Sometimes all you need is a little kick in the pants. More importantly, sometimes what’s needed are a few tips and tricks to keep you on track. So I thought today I’d throw a few of my own tips your way, some things that have helped me to keep on target.

Livestrong and Your Healthy Lifestyle. A few years ago, I dropped 40lbs and 6 sizes. I did it by changing how I look at food. Putting unrealistic restrictions on what you eat (cut out the carbs! 0 fat! Eat only cabbage soup!) is a sure fire way to fail a weight loss program. Not only do diet restrictions up your chances that you are going to cheat, when you go off the program and start eating regular food again, you typically gain the weight back in record time.

The #1 best way to lose weight is to count calories. That’s it. There is no other magic solution. I lost weight by limiting myself to a certain number of calories a day, and essentially being able to eat what I wanted within the calories I’d been given. That meant, if I wanted to splurge on some chicken wings, I could, as long as I balanced that out with other healthy choices throughout the day. Exercise was a big component too, and I would get bonus calories for going on a 40 minute walk or doing some yoga.

Over the past year or so, my weight has crept back up a bit (I’ve gained a size) and I decided it’s time to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control again. I was searching through the iPhone App Store one day and I came across Livestrong. Livestrong is a calorie tracking tool that allows you to enter and track your weight, and it contains a database of every kind of food you can imagine, and the associated calories for that food. At the beginning you enter a few details like your current weight and you weight loss goal, and throughout the day, you enter what you eat and what exercise you’ve done. Livestrong keeps track of how many calories you have left, so you know exactly where you stand at all times. The first week I was on it I lost 3 lbs, and I’ve averaged a healthy 2lbs per week since I started using it. It’s convenient, free, and most importantly, it works!

If you are serious about losing weight and being healthier (and have an iPhone), give the Livestrong a try. If you don’t have an iPhone, feel free to leave links to other online calorie trackers in the comments. Also check out the web site (Livestrong is Lance Armstrong’s foundation, incidentally) because there are some great healthy lifestyle tips.

Saving Money. I don’t have a lot of money saving tips, and there are plenty of other people out there who are far more educated about money than I am. But for me, one of the key ways I save money is by thrift store shopping.

Now, I am no fashionista, to be sure. I enjoy nice clothes and accessories as much as the next girl, but I am not really that in to designer stuff. That said, a girlfriend generously gave me a beautiful little Coach purse for Christmas which I love – not because it’s Coach, but because it’s so damn cute.

Perhaps it’s because of my thrifty Scottish roots, but I don’t like to spend a lot of money on clothes. I think most clothing is way overpriced for the quality you get, and I also hate malls and big box stores. Sure, online shopping is an option, but by the time I pay the U.S. dollar conversions and the shipping, I might as well give up on my budget entirely.

Years ago, I discovered the glorious thrift store (thanks to the same friend who bought me the Coach purse, incidentally). Since then, I have become a thrift store junky, spending hours combing the racks for stuff. I estimate now that about 80% of my clothes are thrift store finds. Here’s an example of what I got on a weekend jaunt to my local Value Village:

• 3 pairs of brand name jeans
• 1 turtlneck sweater (also brand name)
• 1 zip up wool blend sweater
• 1 pair of black leather boots
• 1 t-shirt

I estmate the total cost, had I bought these all brand new in a mall, would be over $500. The stuff I bought was all practically brand new, and mostly name brand. My total cost? $67 (taxes in).

If you want to get really serious about saving money, then take a look at how much you spend on clothing. Got kids? Why would you EVER go to a brand name store to spend $60 on a pair of jeans for your toddler that they are going to grow out of in 3 months? Kids consignment and 2nd hand stores abound, and the best part about these is you can trade in your kids’ old stuff for store credit.

Oh, and if you still MUST have that $400 designer purse or $300 pair of boots? The money you save by buying stuff at thrift stores will more than pay for those things.

By the way, the trick to successful thrift store shopping is to have plenty of time to do it. Block yourself a good hour or even two to comb the racks. There’s a lot of junk in these stores, but plenty of great stuff too. You just need the time to look.

Live Now. Perhaps the most important thing to remember when it comes to your new year goals is that it’s okay if you fall off the wagon. We’ve all done it. The important thing is that you recognize it and keep moving forward to your goal. The beauty of life is that every day that we wake up and get another chance to try it over again. If you didn’t do so well last week on your healthy eating plan, make a plan to start fresh today. If you spent a little more than you should have on the weekend, make a plan to hang on to your dough this week. Don’t get hung up on your past mistakes. You only have right now. Keep on going, one day, one moment at a time and before you know it, those pants will be looser and your bank account will be bigger.

Now, over to you – how do you stay on track with your goals?

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